NDSU President Dean L. Bresciani emphasized institutional successes during his 11th annual State of the University Address Oct. 2. The speech was presented virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bresciani discussed a wide range of topics, beginning with the university’s ongoing efforts to successfully overcome the many challenges presented by the coronavirus.
“NDSU did not stop or close down or otherwise capitulate to the crisis,” said Bresciani, noting NDSU was one of first universities in the nation to publicly commit to in-person operation in fall 2020. “From all corners of our university and literally on the fly, our people changed gears, reconfigured, adapted and somehow found ways to keep the wheels turning. Classes carried on, credits were earned and diplomas issued. Offices and programs kept functioning, research continued and campus work was carried out.”
He said a key to NDSU’s successful transition to a “new normal” is the HyFlex system. With support through the CARES Act, NDSU students and instructors have the choice to attend class either in person or remotely – interactively, in real time.
Diversity and equality are vital components of campus life and NDSU, and Bresciani addressed several items.
He has created a new President’s Council for Diversity, Inclusion and Respect. “I want this council to provide NDSU administration with guidance on how to make NDSU a better community for historically underserved populations and to operationalize the diversity and inclusion goal of the strategic plan,” he said.
In addition, NDSU is finalizing a draft of an Indigenous Lands Acknowledgment, the Grandmother Earth’s Gift of Life Garden has a new location and Bresciani is asking that the institutional recognition of Columbus Day be changed to Indigenous Peoples Day.
Bresciani said the NDSU Foundation’s “In Our Hands” capital campaign will transform students’ lives by increasing scholarships, offering endowed professorships and enhancing facilities.
He also focused on new and planned buildings, including Sugihara Hall, Aldevron Tower and the Agricultural Products Utilization Center.
“These initiatives are only the beginning of making NDSU a better and more welcoming place for all of our students, staff and faculty,” Bresciani said. “We are setting up both a process and a commitment to continuously improve – so that we can help NDSU, and our country, better live up to our shared ideals.”
You can view his recorded message on the President’s speeches webpage.
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